Chapter 85.2

‘I wonder how Jin Industries is doing back on Earth… and my body?’

Teaching with Earth-born knowledge stirred a longing for my old world.

‘Please don’t give me some absurd twist like being in a coma. If I return and find out I’ve been stuck like that, I swear I’ll defect to the Empire out of spite.’

The classroom fell silent as the last student left.

Now alone, I stared out at the empty rows of desks and sighed deeply.

The lecture hall, illuminated by light-attribute magic stones, was as bright as daytime, while fire-attribute heating stones kept the cold at bay.

Standing alone in the warm and cozy room, I couldn’t help but reflect.

‘How much more do I need to do before I’m sent back? Compared to the original history, this place is far better now, isn’t it? Surely, they’re not expecting me to stay here forever… right?’

The reason I lingered here, alone with a hint of homesickness, was twofold.

First, it was cold outside, and second, I was waiting for the people I had grown close to in this world.

Another five minutes passed.

“Sir.”

“Mary! How was your class?”

“It went well,” Mary said as she entered the room.

She had been teaching in a neighboring classroom, just like me. The difference was that she taught adults basic literacy and arithmetic.

“Sir!”

“Ah, Teo, you’re right on time.”

Teo, the head steward, entered soon after. Like Mary, he had been helping with lectures, teaching fundamental skills to those with no prior education.

While I instructed government officials, clergy, magi, and company executives in advanced subjects, they focused on providing foundational education to adults.

“Thank you both for volunteering for this. I know you must be tired.”

“It’s fulfilling work,” Mary said with a gentle smile. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before. It doesn’t even feel like a burden.”

By now, you might be wondering: what about the retired northern officials or the Renslet Magus Society mages?

“They’re working hard on eradicating illiteracy in other parts of the North. Compared to their efforts, this is nothing.”

The North was vast, and education couldn’t be limited to just the High Tower.

If we were working this hard, others were working even harder elsewhere.

The three of us left the academy building together.

“The night air is still chilly. Hard to believe this is April,” I remarked, taking a deep breath of the crisp air.

“Well, it is the High Tower,” Mary replied.

The cold northern air sharpened my senses, brushing away the day’s fatigue.

“At least it woke me up,” I said with a wry smile.

“You’ll get used to it, and then it’ll feel refreshing. That’s the only real benefit of cold air,” Mary quipped.

She wasn’t wrong. Despite the chill, the pure, pollution-free atmosphere of this fantasy world felt invigorating.

“Good work tonight, Sir Jin,” greeted a knight standing outside.

“Ah, is Sir Eote on guard duty tonight? I’ll be in your care,” I replied.

Sir Eote approached, leading my prized steed.

“I’ve brought Lady Mary and Sir Teo’s horses as well,” Eote said.

“Thank you, Sir Eote.”

“Much appreciated.”

After nodding my thanks, I mounted my horse, followed by Mary and Teo.

“It’s cold, so let’s get moving.”

“Yes, sir. Where to?”

“We’ll head to the commercial district outside the High Tower for a little celebration.”

As we rode through the Arad factory complex, I noted how the night’s chill was offset by the abundance of light-attribute magic stones illuminating the streets.

Our procession was sizable—fifteen people in total. In addition to Eote, several knights accompanied us as guards.

After the recent attack on the factory, security had been significantly tightened.

Eventually, we reached the bustling commercial district filled with restaurants and taverns. Once a modest cluster of inns and pubs, the area had flourished thanks to the development of the Arad factory.

“Hmm?”

As we approached the carriage depot, I spotted some familiar carriages.

“Looks like the Bishop Company has already arrived.”

The luxury carriages were parked outside a high-end inn on the outskirts of the High Tower.

“The tracks are fresh. They must have just arrived,” Eote observed, inspecting the area.

“Traveling at this hour—how bold. Their escorts, the Red Wolves, must have had a rough time.”

There were twenty carriages in total, ranging from cargo wagons to luxurious brohams and troikas. The shared characteristic among them was their grandeur, emblematic of the Bishop Company’s prominence as the only Imperial merchant group capable of traversing the North in such numbers.

“Seems Entir’s growing uneasy with the coronation approaching. He must be in a hurry to get here,” I mused.

The Bishop Company often sent large convoys like this to the North, but today’s procession was particularly extravagant—likely because Entir Bishop himself was present.

“Would you like to greet him now?” Teo asked.

“No, let’s avoid that. If I get caught by Entir, my precious evening off will disappear entirely.”

I quickly turned my horse around, eager to escape Entir’s reach.

“Let’s hold our celebration elsewhere. Or, how about heading back to HQ? I could whip something up myself.”

“Really?”

“Oho! It’s been a while since we’ve had the chance to enjoy your cooking!”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Both Mary and Teo lit up with excitement, their expressions mirrored by the knights accompanying us.

“What would you like to eat?” I asked.

“Could we have fried chicken and beer?” Mary suggested.

“Of course.”

That night, we returned to the company headquarters.

It was a perfect evening, except for the minor inconvenience of making Jarvis, the building caretaker, work late to set things up. But in the end, it was worth it for a meal that brought everyone together.